Research as a Transferable Skill

Research, scholarship, and creativity: What it is and why it matters (55 mins) Preview Course

This course introduces the concept of “research” as it is understood and defined by diverse disciplines, demonstrating (with reference to Boyer’s model) how research is a multifaceted enterprise encompassing a wide range of approaches and outcomes. The transferable aspects of research, including consideration of career paths, are also introduced.

Integrity and ethical decision-making in research (65 mins) Preview Course

This course provides a critical background to the importance of ethical behavior in research and scholarship, introducing not only standard compliance regulations in (for example) human and animal subjects and data protection, but also supporting a spirit of “good citizenship” and responsibility that is necessary in any research discipline and in the wider world beyond academia.

This course will guide learners through the steps of the research process, both in terms of general best practices as well as specific examples from diverse disciplines. Students will learn how to formulate and carry through a research topic, question, and hypothesis, and set themselves up for success when preparing to begin a project.

This course guides learners on how to distinguish and identify different roles of research team members and mentors, prepare for research team meetings, and the best practices for communicating with their mentor. Students will also learn how to identify rules, expectations, and culture in a research environment.

This course looks at identifying stakeholders who may support research projects in many ways, including but not limited to funding. It supports learners in understanding best practices for engaging with stakeholders, including persuasive communication and strong proposal writing.

This course introduces key points to help learners manage a research project. It will support learners as they design and implement a research project, including overall management, keeping deadlines, developing budget and cost estimates, and staying organized.

This course outlines what it means to conduct a literature review and why it is an important step in the research process. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify available resources, conduct and focus a search, and evaluate the quality of literature and reliability of sources that they are working with. One of the main “transferable skills” takeaways is critical evaluation and information literacy.

This course provides an overview of the different types of research typically used in each discipline, and the various research strategies associated with quantitative and qualitative approaches. Students will learn to distinguish between different ways of knowing and how to increase the credibility of their findings and conclusions by choosing the right method or approach.

This course covers the key elements of writing research papers, collaborating on writing within different disciplines, and how to prepare and submit a paper for publication. It discusses the writing process and types of writing in the context of different disciplinary structures.

This course introduces different types of communication and the various skills associated with each type. Students will learn how to respond to questions and skepticism in different environments, as well as best practices for managing their reputation online.

This course provides students with an understanding entrepreneurship and the different career paths available to them based on their research experiences. Students will learn about the elements of a business plan, negotiation tactics, and intellectual property rights.

This course guides students through the job search process, from understanding their value in the market place, determining which career paths are appropriate, and how to self-promote by networking online and in person. The course will support students in cultivating relationships with mentors and preparing for interviews.

Introducing undergraduate research across the curriculum (80 mins) Preview Course

This course conveys the benefits of exposing undergraduates to research projects in an effort to jump-start their careers, and identifies ways to provide them with transferable skills that will enable them to be employed outside of academia. Faculty will learn different ways to scaffold undergraduate research into the courses in their departments, and transparently make students aware of the transferable skills they are learning through their research.

This course explains the benefits of engaging in undergraduate research, and identifies different models of mentorship and collaboration between students and faculty that reflect the norms of their discipline. It draws important connections between the “lab-centric” model of undergraduate research and how this approach can be applied and modified for a range of disciplines including the humanities.

Measuring the impact of undergraduate research (65 mins) Preview Course

This course is intended to help faculty, administrators, and other stakeholders measure and demonstrate the impact that a comprehensive undergraduate research program has had, or could have, at their institutions; there is an emphasis on the power of good storytelling that serves to convince others of the value of supporting UR programs. It also helps faculty to develop strategies of reaching out and encouraging students who would not usually be involved in undergraduate research.